Working out the knots
by General Danvers
Summary: RedQueen fic! Set after the curse was broken while Snow and Emma are in FTL. Cannon divergent in Ruby's favour. Regina saves Ruby from the full moon and ensuing lynch mob and Ruby offers a massage in return. One-shot, possibly smutty second chapter depending on fan reviews. FF Ruby/Regina (Trigger warning: non-con references)


**RedQueen short fic! Please mind any errors I give it a read through on the phone before posting so I can't make any promises that it's all clear of errors sorry!**

 **Read and review if you will. Hope you enjoy!**

(Maybe a trigger warning for a small reference to non-con)

I don't own OUAT nor do I use these characters for any monetary gain!

* * *

Regina couldn't even believe the turn of events going on here. Not only was she trying to find a way back from the Enchanted Forest for Snow and Emma. There was even more mischief going on than was even remotely necessary. Regina was over these distraction, if she could bring Emma back Henry would want to have something to do with her again. Hopefully.

Except then that royal pain in the ass Spencer had to plot to set up Ruby Lucas in the hopes of dethroning David and Snow, Regina just couldn't have that. And not for the Charmings sake either, but because of Ruby. Little Red didn't know it but the mayor had a soft spot for her, she always admired the wolf's spunk, the take no shit attitude and the confidence. It didn't hurt that Ruby had also already stood up for Regina.

So when the time came, Regina tailed Spencer, managed to find out what was going on, and managed to set Spencer up at the same time. It wasn't exactly easy and required a little forethought. Unfortunately she hadn't anticipated who Spencer would have killed and so saving Billy was impossible.

"I can't believe he's dead, he was so sweet." Ruby commented to the tired Mayor.

"He was a mouse." Regina retorted with a sigh.

"Yeah but he was a sweet mouse." Ruby sighed as well and sat down.

Regina regarded the long legged, rather gorgeous, werewolf before her and sighed again. She'd have totally gone for someone like that if things had been different. If she had been given the opportunity to explore and experiment, to be a child instead of constantly being pushed to be 'a proper lady fit to be queen'.

"I didn't know you were into women." Regina was startled by the statement from the wolf.

"What? Oh... I said that out loud?" Regina queried she had too much pride to allow herself to blush.

"You did." Ruby confirmed getting up and moving over to the other woman's side.

"Well... then yes. I like what ever I find attractive." Regina admits with a shrug that made her wince, she had some serious knots in her back.

"Would you like a massage?" Of course the astute wolf noticed that she had been stiff.

"What do you want Miss Lucas? Are you trying to proposition me?" Regina asked skeptically.

Ruby laughed and shook her head. "No, I don't doubt for a minute you'd turn me down in a heart beat, or into wolf kebab. I simply meant... well you look rundown."

"Oh well thank you." Regina returned snidely.

"Why do you do that?" Ruby asked tilting to head at the mayor.

"I mean I guess I know why. Your life's been a bit of a bum deal yeah. Probably been used and manipulated, there's no way you could have been that dark without seeing more than just Snow ruining your life... but I'm making a genuine offer and you're being so... defensive." Ruby continued before Regina could even answer.

Regina stared at the wolf wordlessly for a long moment, not many people had the stomach to point out her flaws so brazenly before. Yet something told the mayor that Ruby didn't often shy away from the hard truths, she had to tolerate being Snows friend somehow.

"Because I've lived in this town over 28 years and even when I wasn't the 'evil queen' to everyone I was still avoided and ignored." Regina pointed out.

"I've rarely been given a genuine offer before without anyone wanting something in return." Regina added with a scowl. "So again... what do you want?"

"I _want_ to give you a massage. So get over it and get your top off." Ruby heaves a sigh of exasperation.

Regina stares for a moment before starting to unbutton her blouse, as she does she points to the bathroom. Ruby looked a little confused but made her way to the bathroom.

"There's some body butter in there." Regina offers as she removed her shirt.

By the time Ruby made her way back with two hand towels and a tube of body butter Regina was entirely topless and laying face down on a blanket on the couch. Ruby took in the site, the mayor definitely had a body Ruby could worship but now wasn't the time. She'd offered a massage and that's what the mayor would get.

The silence stretched between the pair as Ruby closed the distance. A murmured apology as Ruby tucked a towel into the top of Regina's pants but when she got no comment she simply lightly straddled the mayors backside and leaned up to push the dark hair away from the woman's neck. She lathered her hands and started work.

"Jees when was the last time you had a massage?" Ruby asked honestly a bit shocked at the tight knotted muscles in the woman's back and shoulders.

"What makes you think anyone's ever offered to give me a massage before and Storybrook is kind of lacking a spa and masseuse." Regina's voice was somewhere between snide and something Ruby couldn't quite place.

"No ones ever offered. You were married to Snows Dad though, couldn't you have ordered the maids to do it?" Ruby asked yet again frowning.

"I... didn't fancy being touched by anyone in those days." Regina closed her eyes at this somewhat unintentional confession.

"Was he that bad?" Ruby's voice had become a whisper at this point.

"Did Snow tell you how perfect he was? A doting and caring father? A kind man?" Regina asked and felt more than anything else that the queen had nodded.

"He was all that to his beloved daughter and even to me in front of her. But Leopold didn't want a new love. He wanted a mother for his daughter. Behind closed doors I was little more than his wife who had... 'wifely duties' to fulfil which as far as he was concerned all involved a bed and didn't require consent so long as I was reminded that I was his wife." Regina wasn't sure why she was explaining all of this to the wolf. To Snows right hand.

"Ahh, So men can be pigs in all the realms then." Ruby pondered aloud and Regina actually found herself pleased that Ruby wasn't apologetic or offering sympathy.

"That they can. Not that there aren't good ones, Daniel was a good man. I should have left him alone... he'd still be alive." Regina sighed sadly.

"Peter too, but what would have become of us? Your mother would still be using you to live the life she couldn't have, being a bitch and making you cold. I'd have probably ended up killing Peter anyways because he took too many chances and I was growing tired of Granny being so pushy and dishonest. It's tragic, but there's little point looking back and thinking what if. Preserve the memory of your first love and do what you're doing now." Ruby offered again without any sympathy.

"And what am I doing now?" Regina quirked an eyebrow groaning as Ruby worked a particularly stubborn knot.

"Working to be the woman your first love would have been proud of. The mum Henry will definitely come back to. The mayor people respect." Ruby offers simply.

"What makes you think any of that matters now? The curse is broken. I did a lot of bad things. Henry knows I'm evil. Everyone hates me." Regina points out a scowl marring her features.

"The curse is broken, a curse you cast to rid everyone of their happy endings and yet... you brought us a better land where the houses have plumbing, we have hot water. I don't gave to go to the toilet in the woods. The streets don't stink and rooves don't leak. I can buy eggs instead of needing chicken and bacon... wow... bacon." Ruby rattled off as she worked on another muscle.

"That's you, my dear. Everyone else hates me." Regina reminds thoughtfully.

"Everyone Rose is stupid. They were all draged into something they didn't want to be a part of but chose to stick with anyway. They picked up the angst but you can bet your fine ass they are all happy to be here. They just don't have the balls to say it." Ruby offered seriously.

"Not like you?" Regina asked tiredly. It was relatively late and Regina was simply warn out from recent events.

"I say what I mean not what other people think I should say. I love the hot water and the inside toilet. So thank you." Ruby spoke gently but genuinely.

The only response the wolf got was a soft hum and not long after that Regina was snoring lightly, not that Ruby would tell the former queen that she snores regardless of how soft the sound was. Instead Ruby gently finished the massage and lightly covered the mayor with a blanket before she settled down to get a little sleep.

* * *

Come morning Ruby was gone when Regina woke up. A small note left on the coffee table there by the sofa. The mayor stretched and yawned loudly before sitting up wrapping the blanket around herself and smiling softly.

 _Next time you need a massage let me know, (xxxxxxxx)_

Regina couldnt help but smile. She had opened up to the wolf last night more than she thought she might have otherwise and somehow Red didn't judge her for her past, in fact she seemed kind of forgiving which was awfully refreshing for the mayor. Reaching into her purse on the coffee table the woman bit her lip as she punched in the wolf's phone number and saved it before composing a new text.

 _How about we get lunch_?

Hitting send Regina waited but ultimately didn't have to wait long before her phone pinged with a return message.

 ** _A date_?**

Regina bit her lip a bit harder and sent back a simple.

 _Yes_

A half minute later and she got another text that had her heart racing _._

 **I'd love that** _._

And suddenly things were looking much better to the mayor _._

* * *

 _Super serious side note!_

 _I have recently set up a multi fandom Roleplay forum (Not a cross over Roleplay forum) including but not limited to OUAT, The 100, Twilight, Harry Potter and X-men. Also considering a Glee thread. If anyone is interested in checking it out feel free to send me a PM and I'll get back to you with a link as I'm still looking for active members for any of the fandoms we are involved in!_

 _Thanks again for reading!_


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